Installing an additional dome light in the cargo area

[rek]

I have a C-Max Energi with the large soft-sided folding cargo organizer (Ford part No: AE5Z-78115A00) in the cargo area. More photos of the cargo organizer here:  http://fordcmaxenergiforum.com/topic/1232-some-photos-of-the-cargo-organizer-soft-sided-large-folding-part-no-ae5z-78115a00-in-my-c-max-energi/. The organizer blocks the little convenience lights at the lower sides of the cargo area. The cargo organizer was in total darkness at night, and I could not see inside grocery bags placed inside the organizer. I purchased the 3 Watt Round Dome LIght LED Fixture, Part No: TDL-W3 | UPC: 84778103514 from Superbrightleds.com for $9.95 plus $6.25 shipping. Installation was about an hour, see the following photos for details. The light only comes on when the hatch is opened, it does not come on when the side doors are opened. This dome light is low profile, so I do not think that it will get in the way when I put things in or out of the cargo area. It is pleasantly bright, but not overwhelming. Being LED, the dome light does not generate any appreciable heat and does not get warm at all. A nice little addition, which should have been standard equipment in my opinion, even if you don't have the cargo organizer extra light back there from above would always be welcome.

 

Front view of dome light

 

Rear view of dome light

 

Headliner pulled down, held open by a rolled-up towel. Headliner pulls down easily, don't be afraid to just yank on it.

 

Positioning the dome light on the "wrong" side of the headliner. The round white trim bezel is removed from the dome light before mounting it. With an awl, I then punched holes in the headliner for the wires and mounting bolts.

 

Dome light secured in place with bolts, fender washers and toothed lock washers, not supplied, you have to supply your own bolts, nuts and washers. I used two 1" long round-head 6-32 bolts. Note the doughnut shaped magnet that holds the headliner in place when it is in its normal position and not pulled down.

 

I had to splice a couple feet of wire to the leads of the dome light, that's yellow heat shrink tubing that you see in the photo.

 

I ran the wire down to the side cargo light on the driver's side and spliced into the wires just behind the socket and wrapped with electrical tape. I would have used vampire taps, but my junk box was too messy to locate some! Red wire of the new dome light spliced into the brown wire with green stripe. White wire of the new dome light spliced into the white wire with blue stripe. Because the dome light uses LED's, it will not work if the polarity of the wires is reversed.

 

Here's a photo of the cargo organizer illuminated by the new dome light. You can see a little bit of (useless) light from the original OEM side cargo convenience light at the left end of the cargo organizer. Information about adding a cargo net to the cargo area here: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/1332-adding-a-cargo-net-to-the-c-max/

 

The dome light illuminated, hatch open.

 

The dome light not illuminated, hatch closed.

Edited January 1, 2014 by rek

[Bill-N]

Very nicely done.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Nice rek :thumbsup: , great job and thanks for posting the how-to-do-it as well.... :clapping:

[chrisl]

I installed one (same model as rek) this afternoon when I was finishing up the roof rack install (details on that to be posted later-- It's a yakima with control towers and landing pad 7).  I just went out to check out the rear dome light in the dark, and it's quite a dramatic improvement.